Interview: Charles Le Menestrel, Owner of Ollech & Wajs, On Keeping A Historical Name Alive
The name might not ring a bell with a broader audience, but it is well-known and highly respected in some collectors’ communities.?A Swiss brand specialising in tool watches, Ollech & Wajs (O&W) was founded in 1956 by Albert Wajs and his friend Joseph Ollech, who formed a partnership and opened a watch shop. At first, they distributed timepieces from Breitling and Omega but eventually decided to establish their own brand, Ollech & Wajs Zurich. They soon agreed that OWZ would specialise in reliable and accurate mechanical watches. In 2017, after more than 60 years at the helm, Albert Wajs passed on O&W to Charles Le Menestrel, who shares his vision to keep the brand’s spirit alive with us.Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – Charles, thanks for having us. What is your background, and how did you get into watches?Charles Le Menestrel, Ollech & Wajs – I have always been into what would be best-called merchandise transactions, buying and selling large quan

Hands-On - Zenith El Primero A384 Revival (Live Pics, Specs & Price)
This year, as you’ve probably noticed, is the 50th anniversary of two important milestones for the watchmaking industry: the Moon Landing and the launch of the first automatic chronographs.? 1969 marked the introduction of the Zenith El Primero, part of the first automatic chronographs launched on the market. To celebrate the half-century of this iconic movement, Zenith has already released several great pieces, all based on the reference A386 – in steel as part of a special revival box, or in gold with 3 limited edition watches. Today, another of the inaugural 1969 El Primero watches will be reissued, the reference A384 – and its availability is bound to please aficionados.The Zenith El Primero, a movement first and foremostFifty years ago, in 1969, three brands/joint ventures revolutionised the watchmaking industry by launching – almost simultaneously – the first automatic chronograph movements. During the mid-1960s the time was ripe for the chronograph

Weekly Watch Photo - Panerai PAM386 Luminor Composite Marina 1950 - Monochrome Watches
The Panerai PAM386 Luminor Composite Marina 1950 is Monochrome’s favorite new Panerai of this year. The material of the case, the size and the rugged looks are simply awesome.?Monochrome’s Weekly Watch Photo is made by Martin Wilmsen who is specialized in watch photography and Panerai watches and his blog is on Monochrome’s daily reading list. We always enjoy to see nice photos of nice watches. Hey, that’s why we started the Weekly Watch Photo in the first place. This new Panerai PAM386 is made of ‘composite’ that Panerai first used for the?Radiomir PAM339, that was launched in 2010. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Although the case seems black, the composite case is brown and so is the dial. The strap this watch comes on, is the?so-called Assolutamente strap, one of Panerai’s nicest straps! Inside the PAM386 ticks?

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding Excellence Platine (Specs & Price)
Platinum is often seen as the king of materials – or at least the most exclusive metal you can imagine for a watch. With this in mind,?Vacheron Constantin created a collection dedicated to this precious metal in 2006 called “Collection Excellence Platine”. Exclusively composed of limited edition pieces, all of them share a unique monochromatic design enlightened by blue accents. This collection today receives a new member, a thin, restrained dress watch named the?Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding Excellence Platine.The?Collection Excellence Platine isn’t new at Vacheron Constantin but what is surprising is how consistent this range of watches has been over the years. A closer look at most of them –? for instance, the?Day-Date & Power Reserve model, the?Patrimony Hand-Wound or the?Traditionnelle Complete Calendar – reveals some common traits shared by all the watches. Here, platinum isn’t only used for the case but for almost

SIHH 2015 - Hands-on with the Vacheron Constantin Metiers dArt Mecaniques Gravees (live photos & specs) - Monochrome Watches
The Swiss maison of Vacheron Constatin celebrates its 260th anniversary, and already brought us the all-new Harmony Collection. Bearing the hallmarks of their Metiers d'Art collections, the Mecaniques Gravees 14 day Tourbillon and a hand wound non-tourbillon model feature fully hand-engraved movements inside classically styled cases, harking back to the very beginning of the brand, originally founded in 1755.The inspirations of the hand-engraved patterns on the Caliber 2260 and 4400 movements can be traced back to the 5th century. Originating from Greek pillars and columns, the decorations portray acanthus leafs and arabesque swirls. These recognizable shapes are painstakingly carved into the movement by skilled craftsmen. The depiction of acanthus leaves saw a surge during the Renaissance and the Baroque period, as it evolved into a symbol of victory and glory. Hand engraving calibers have always been a strong focus for Vacheron Constatin, including the acanthus leaves. Ad